Following a special meeting today in Carlsbad, Eddy County has announced Whites City Road will remain open at this time.

The county announced the closure of the road last week after stating it had been ordered to cease work on the disaster relief project ongoing in the area by Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA). The closure was put into effect, a press release said, to protect work-in-progress on the road.

After reviewing the current status of the work-in-progress today, the Eddy County Commission approved funding to complete the winter work schedule.

According to the county, when FEMA approved aid in 2014 after heavy flooding left several county roads impassable, it did not stipulate how the repair work should proceed. Since, however, FEMA has begun tightening its requirements and restrictions on the project, leaving the county unclear as to how exactly to move forward.

The county and FEMA are currently working to come to an agreement so that work may resume.

For more information, contact the County Manager’s Office at 575-887-9511.